Hawkers turn murderers in Bhandup

An argument related to the menace of hawking quickly turned brutal when a group of vegetable sellers attacked a man and his two sons, killing all three, in Bhandup on Sunday. The gruesome murders that occurred in broad daylight have raised severe concerns over the city's law and order situation.

The deceased have been identified as Abdul Ali Khan, 50, Shahbaz, 25 and Shadab, 14. They were attacked by hawker mafias allegedly running in connivance with civic and police officials.

According to the police, Khan was a resident of Zakaria compound, Sonapur in Bhandup. A few vegetable vendors would regularly set up their stalls in front of Khan's house despite his repeated objection. On Sunday too, Khan stopped them from setting their stalls when three to four vegetable sellers gathered at the spot and began attacking Shahbaz with choppers and knives. Noticing the attack, his brother Shadab and his father tried to intervene but the vegetable sellers attacked them too. As the public began to gather, the accused fled the spot.

According to locals, the police were informed immediately however they reached the spot only after an hour. "The hawkers have been a menace in the area since the police and civic officials get hafta from them. Instead of evicting, they provide them shelter," said Faruk Khan, a local.

CCTV footage from the area has helped the police identify the accused. "We are in the process of nabbing the culprits," said Akhilesh Kumar Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 7.